Dare devil Ken's car a new star at museum Coventry Transport Museum

David Malin (left) and his dad Ken (middle) with Chris Van Schaardenburgh

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By Jonny Bonell

A 1930s children’s racing car which has been in the same family since it was made has been handed over to Coventry Transport Museum.

The car – which has only ever been driven by three people – has been donated to the museum 80 years after it was first constructed.

Ken Malin, now aged 82, was present with his son David, 53, to hand the unique car over to curators at the museum, in Hales Street.

The car was originally built for Ken by his father in 1933.

He recalled how they would go to Brandon race track and he would get to sit in the back of the vehicle – when he was just two years old.

He said: “It was 1933 when I first rode it.

“I loved it and it became that I would go out in it once a week.”

The car has been through its fair share of trauma during its 80-year life, including being shut away in storage for the entire duration of World War Two.

It also had its wheels stolen after thieves broke into Ken’s garage.

He said: “It was put into storage when the war started, which is why the back is damaged as we just propped it up.

After someone broke into our garage and stole the wheels off it we were gutted.

“We actually got a new pair off an invalid chair as they used to have the same wheels on them.”

The 250cc engined car has a number three painted on the back to symbolise the number of drivers it has had since its construction, 80 years ago.

David was the third generation owner of the car, having had it passed down to him by Ken, whose own father in turn had given it to him.

Handing it over to museum curator Chris Van Schaardenburgh, David fondly remembered some of his own hairy moments in the car – after inheriting it from his dad who was known to all at the time as Dare Devil Ken.

He said: “Everyone around here knew him. They all knew him as Dare Devil Ken!

“I remember one time I took the car round to my gran’s as she had a big long drive. I went round the corner pretty quickly with my brother on the back.

“All of a sudden I realised I didn’t know how to stop it as the car had no brake.

“We ended up crashing into the gate post and falling out of it. It was just that sort of car.”

Mr Van Schaardenburgh, curator of vehicles at the museum, said they had been delighted to receive such a unique slice of local motoring history.